With a new version of their operating system, Windows 8, due to be release by end of 2012, Microsoft have updated the support arrangements for the older versions, Windows 7 and Vista. Ed Bott at ZDNet magazine has written an informative piece about these changes.

But, what does this mean to the small business owner?

The answer is simple – Make sure you do not get left behind.

As a small business, it is vital that you use current technology in your business, so you can remain competitive and in touch with your customers. This does not necessarily, mean you need to be using the very latest, state of the art computers or software, unless that is your business.

Many large companies are still running Windows XP on the majority of their desktops and laptops. The reasons are simple. All their applications work on Windows XP and they have wide support for it. There are also the cost implications of replacing every computer in the company.

As Microsoft release new versions of there software, they will no longer support older versions. The current policy is for support of the latest version and the 2 previous versions. As Windows XP will be 3 versions behind when Windows 8 is released, support for XP will end. For more information you should check out the Microsoft Product Lifecycle pages.

Should you rush out to get Windows 8? If you want to, but don’t rush in to it. On February 29th 2012, Microsoft released the Windows 8 Consumer Preview for public download. This site has listed some informative articles about it, so if you are able, then download and install it on a test system, perhaps in a virtual machine. Install any applications you use and check they all work for you. If you they run ok and you like it, then consider upgrading when it Windows 8 is fully released.

Otherwise, I would recommend you get all your computers up to Windows 7. Then you will have full support from Microsoft without worrying about any problems or bugs in the newer version.

If you are not running Windows 7 now, then now is the time to start planning it. It may mean replacing PCs and laptops. It may also mean upgrading your business critical applications. Now is the time to start thinking about and planning it.

If you do not sure how to accomplish this, then hire an IT person to come in and help you out. It will be well worth the investment to remain competitive in your business.

The next version of Microsoft Windows 8 is almost here. To help developers, businesses and individuals evaluate it, Microsoft have released the Consumer Preview version. In other words, this is the last pre-release version made available to the public to test and iron out any last minute bugs.

As you can imagine, the Internet is buzzing with views and opinions on whether Windows 8 is worth the download or not. I will provide my own thoughts here in a few days time. In the meantime though here are a few thoughts from around the web explaining some of the features and benefits of this new version of Windows.

To help you understand it more it may help to read about Windows 8 features and you can download it here.

Have you downloaded Windows 8 yet? What do you think of it? Please share your experiences.

When your friends and family know you wok in IT, they will come and ask you what is the best computer you would recommend they buy.

Whenever a friend is looking for a new computer, they always seem to ask me what is the best computer to buy. Unfortunately, the answer is a bit more complicated than simple choosing a brand.

You can now buy a computer, whether it be a desktop, laptop or a tablet, in the same shop you buy a cooker, fridge, washing machine or TV. And everyone seems to think that because their washing machine has lasted for 10 years, then a computer will as well. Sorry, but they don’t.

You need to use different criteria when choosing a computer. And here they are

Price- First figure out how much you are willing to spend. A ballpark figure is to start at £500 and work up. Yes, you can get good bargains for less than £500 but as we will explain, it depends on what you want.

Purpose – What is the device to be used for. Gaming? Internet? Web development? Graphic Design? Office apps? Is it for work use or just for the home? Deciding on this will affect the spec you go for, i.e. the amount of memory, type of processor, graphics quality and disk space

A gaming system will need to the most memory, fastest processor and high quality graphics. Internet usage will require the standard memory and a lower end processor. In my opinion, anything else will fall in between these two. So decide now what you want to use it for.

Type – Desktop, laptop or tablet? There is little price difference between a similar spec laptop and desktop. So everyone thinks they may as well get a laptop anyway, as it gives them greater freedom in where they can use it. Is that what you want though?

Here is something to think about. If you work at home it may be tempting to work at the kitchen table, in the living room or even in the bedroom. You have that flexibility with a laptop. However, if you have a family what are the chances of you getting peace to work at the kitchen table? Probably very little, in my experience.Having a little office is better for this. Then when you have finished for the day, you can shut the door on the office and forget about work until the next day. In the mean time you can spend quality time with the family and actually have a social life. Now, if you do this and you have a laptop and it never comes out of the office, you may be just as well to have desktop.

A laptop is the device to have if you travel away from home or the office but if you don’t, why have one?

The point here is, think about what you want to use this new device for. Unlike household appliances which have a single purpose a computer can be used for any number of different uses. Consider what you want to use it for first then start looking at what is available.

What do you think? What criteria do you use when buying a computer?

When you start to think about running your own business, where do you look for help? If you are like me, the first place would be the Internet. Quite rightly so. To run any type of business today, you need to make the most of the technology available, including the Internet.

There is a vast array of different technologies. But there are 2 items which are very important and can get overlooked.

Technology is a key component for any business. You need a computer to use the Internet, email suppliers, keep your accounts and create flyers to send out to your customers. You will no doubt use a smartphone to keep up to date with emails when you are on the go. You may even have a tablet with a variety of different apps.

There are also an endless number of apps out there for PC, tablet and smartphones. These apps will do everything including let you manage your accounts, track your expenses, track visitors to your website, schedule meetings and keep a todo list.

I am a big fan of smartphone apps. I have tried many different todo list apps such as Remember the Milk and ToDoist to name just some.

But, there are 2 pieces of older technology that I keep coming back to time and time again.

The Pen and Paper.

Or to be more precise, a pen and notepad. Really, 2 old inventions that are still a part of everyday life, even in this technological age.

These are the 2 old stalwarts that I keep going back to use. Why? Because there is something comforting about having a pen (or even a pencil) in your hand and allowing the creative juices to flow.

Whatever task I need to do, I still find using pen and paper in the initial stages is so much more productive. I will use the paper write out a structure for an article I want to write.

For getting an initial structure or layout for a website, drawing it out on paper is a valuable step. This allows me to play around with different ideas before thinking about any coding. Quite often I will refer back to my initial notes and diagrams as I progress through a project.

Using a pen is a valuable tool for writing my todo list or task list for any project. I find as I go through the day or as a project progresses, I think of tasks that need to be carried out, so writing them down on paper is great.

One of the most valuable aspects of using pen and paper is the portability of the medium. I can have a notepad and pen in my bag and pull them wherever I go. I don’t have to worry about getting a decent phone signal or if my battery has enough charge. I just start to write or sketch.

That is the beauty of using a notepad. Unlike many phone apps, the a pad and pen are not limited to a single function like writing a todo list. Whatever your imagination can think of you can accomplish it on paper.

So, please do not forget about some of the old technologies that are still valuable in the technological age. Let your imagination go and pick up the notepad and pen and start creating.

What do you think? Are pen and paper a valuable resource in your life?

Almost half of Americans in a recent Poll Position phone survey see tablets completely replacing laptops reports Networkworld.

Will this come true?

Granted the tablet market, since the launch of the iPad has become huge. I agree, there is a market for the iPad and others such as Android tablets. In a few years, it may well be that, in some homes at least, tablets and smartphones will be the only computing devices.

In businesses, small and large, tablet devices are already creeping in. At the moment, they are really only used for accessing email and web based business apps. Developers will create tablet apps designed for corporate environments and then we will see large scale adoption of tablets.

But, will tablets replace laptops completely?

No. There will still be a market for laptops. A tablet will just become another option for an employee to have. Today, depending on the employees role, they will be allocated either a desktop PC or a laptop. Many of the laptop users will certainly be more suited to using a tablet for their work role instead of a laptop. Tablets will just be another option.

The form factor also means that laptops will continue to pack more punch than a tablet. Faster processors, more memory, larger storage, faster network access and external ports such as USB. The hardware features will always be limited on a tablet.

The one thing a laptop will always have over a tablet, is a full size, tactile keyboard. Yes, the iPad and android tablets have keyboards. It is ok for occasional typing but can you spend all day typing on it. For producing large reports, blogging or any any other typing intensive task a “proper” keyboard will be the preferred option for many years to come.

The All-In-One device

Not so many years ago, the idea of having one electronic device for all your tasks was the ultimate goal. Smartphones today have a camera and MP3 player built in. Fine for most people, but how many of you have a phone, mp3 player and a camera? Why? Because separate devices provide additional features and quality that an all-in-one device cannot give you.

Laptops and tablets are different devices, with a different purpose and distinct roles. Saying that they have the same purpose is like saying that an iPod has the same role as an iPhone. Each are designed for different uses.

At least for some time to come, there will still be a need for a laptop. A tablet may simply become an additional device you buy, just like the smartphone, MP3 player and camera you already have.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Tablets will replace laptops?

Welcome to another year. The year 2011 is gone and we have 2012 to look forward to. The BBC News site have done a pretty good round up of the 2011 technology.

Rather than keep looking back. it is useful to look forward to the coming year. As a business owner you need to predict what technology trends will come through in 2012 so you can try to stay ahead of the competition.

• 5 Trends that will shape Small Business in 2012
• Small Business Software Trends for 2012 – smallbiztrends.com
• The Definitive Guide to HTML5: 14 Predictions for 2012 – TechCrunch
• 2012: Virtual Desktops are all the rage – NetworkWorld
• 5 Tech Trends to Watch in 2012 – Mashable
• 10 IT News Stories we’ll read in 2012
• 15 Top Design and Development trends for 2012 – Net Magazine
• 10 Web Predictions for 2012 – Sitepoint

So there you have it. A list of what will come in 2012. It will be interesting at the end of the year to look back at this list and see if any of it came true.

Do you think any of it will?

It’s that time of year when websites start producing winter themes. One such site of course is Google.

This year, they have produced a little Easter egg. An Easter egg is a hidden program within another program. It is sometimes a way for a developer to show of some hidden talent. Often they are found by entering a specific key combination. In the case of Google, a certain search phrase will release the egg.

Go to Google search and type in let it snow. Click the search button and see what happens. Pretty cool, eh!

Another piece of fun that Google often do is their doodle. You know, the logo that appears above the search box on the home page. The Google Doodle will often change to commemorate a special occasion. You can have a look at all the past doodles and you can see logos for the lots of different events for the past 10 years or more.

Lists are great. Here are this weeks list posts from around the web.

• 9 Best Practices for Successful IT Projects - This article is about US government projects. But the principles can apply equally to small business projects.
• 10 Awesome Google+ Business Pages – How some companies are making the most of Google+.
• 38 Beautiful Cartoon Wallpapers – Spruce up your desktop with a bit of fun.
• 60+ New WordPress Themes for Autumn 2011 – Give your blog a refresh with a new theme.
• 15 Productivity Tools to Play With – We all need something to help us be more productive. Will these tools help you?
• 5 Best Toys of All Time – Do you remember playing with these? You may be surprised.

I hope you found these articles interesting. Feel free to share them with your friends.

Love or loathe them, meetings are a part of our working life. Sometime a whole day, or even a whole week, can go and you realise you have not got any work done because you have been in meetings all the time.

Attend only when necessary

Do you really need to have a meeting? Why get one or more people in a room, when a phone call or an email would accomplish the task. If you are organising the meeting, only invite the people who are actually needed and would provide value to any discussion or decisions.

Decide on the purpose of the meeting

A meeting can be for any number of purposes. Depending on the purpose will depend on how the meeting is run. If decisions are to made on projects, then some discussions will be necessary. If it is a progress meeting, then a quick update from individuals may be all that is required.

Have an agenda

Once you know the purpose of the meeting, create an agenda and send it out in plenty of time. This gives the attendees enough time to prepare beforehand. This can stop discussions from going off on a tangent, making it difficult to get the meeting back course. Make sure the meeting has a focus.

Know who the chairman is

It may not be necessary to formally appoint a chairman but ensure everyone knows who is running the meeting. It may be the person organising the meeting or someone else. By having someone run the meeting, it should help to keep it on track and on time.

Make decisions and move on

Once a decisions has been reached, move on to the next point. Once the decision has been made, any further discussions can happen outside the meeting.

These are just a few tips on handling meetings. Hope these help you to have productive meetings.